Digging into my own tool box

I was reminded this week that we are all life long learners...or we should be anyway!
I love to write...I love the idea of painting a word picture, of expressing my ideas and sharing them with other people. I also know that I don't work well under pressure! Earlier this week I found out a few things about myself (the hard way) regarding writing and pressure. I need to take my time when I write...I do a horrible job when I am faced with a short deadline. I make foolish errors, my proofreading stinks and the quality of my "product" suffers. So...I dusted off my tool box and pulled out two tools...the tool of "adequate time" i.e.; giving myself enough time to do a good job. The other tool was the "knowing my limitations" tool. This tool is the one that lets me say..."I need to use my time wisely and not be rushed"...or the consequence will be sloppy copy.
SchoolTools101 teaches both of these skills...I teach both these skills!! This week I didn't use my own lessons and I suffered.
What did I learn this week, you may ask? I learned to allow sufficient time for my work to shine and not to be afraid to say "I need more time to do a great job".
Allow your children to acquire these tools...sign them up for a workshop (we have some great ones coming up in the next few weeks!!)and then allow them to assemble their own toolboxes. By giving your children the correct tools, the room to goof, the comfort of your understanding and encouragement they will all become master craftspeople.
A side note...I was supposed to write this last night...I did and it wasn't very good. So...I took a deep breath, put it aside and got up early this morning ready to write. Proving that if you give yourself enough time to do a great job you also give yourself time to "take your time". Now this "assignment" is crossed off my planner and I can go to the Farmer's Market with a clear head!!
Summer is a wonderful time to reinforce skills...sign up today for a workshop!